Liberal Democrats overplay their hand

Unusually for someone who is politically right of centre I have considerable sympathy for the issue of electoral reform; though I do feel that the Liberal democrats have over played their hand.  The electorate made the liberal democrats king makers; it was/is an opportunity for them to show the electorate that balanced politics can work.  Instead of grasping this opportunity with both hands the liberal democrats seem intent on demonstrating all the problems that proportional representation brings.  The loser wins, fringe issues take centre stage, unstable government etc.

Let me put it quite bluntly; if you do not have the courage to make electoral reform an issue during the election (especially when a hung parliament is widely predicted) why should the electorate thank you for making it an issue after the election?  It will seem to the electorate like naked opportunism.  The issues at the election were, the economy, taxation, public sector spending, immigration and cleaning up politics.  What gives the king maker the right to make it all about electoral reform after the ballot has ended?

In reality the hand given to the liberal democrats by the electorate was not that strong.  Working with labour is not a realistic option, the electoral arithmetic does not add up to stable government.  It certainly will not last long enough to put proportional representation on the statute book.  Labour lost the election, propping up the loser is not the most obvious way of endearing the electorate to balanced politics.  Working with the conservatives and demonstrating to the electorate the advantages of balanced politics is their only realistic option.

You can not be both king maker and king.
Best Wishes
Will